Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	angel_n	glory_n	great_a	4,834	5	3.1212	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56309	The weavers shuttle displayed and the swiftness thereof unfolded, or, The words of a dying man to a dying people, in the midst of a dying nation wherein is held forth I. That the time is short, the way is narrow, the prize is great, the runners are many, the obtainers few, II. That repentance and turning to God is not in one call or command, wherefore wait upon the means appointed by God to work it, and that diligently and constantly this work deferred will be still greater, the time to do it wil[l] be shorter, the strength to do it by wil[l] be less, III. If we endeavour to the uttermost to improve the present opportunity and ability that the Almighty gives us, we shall, for ought I know, live with more comfort here and die in full assurance hereafter, for the greatest evil threatned or feared, may through wisdom be timely prevented / by Robert Purnel.	Purnell, Robert, d. 1666.	1652 (1652)	Wing P4244; ESTC R32258	54,417	168

so to them 2. Secondly Consider whatsoever ye do for them the Lord takes it as done to himself Matth. 25. 40. Forasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it to me 3. Thirdly Consider that whatsoever we give it shall be paid us again with interest Luk. 6. 38. Give and it shall be given to you again good measure pressed down and shaken together 2 Cor. 9. 6. He which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully 4. Fourthly Consider that which you have in your Possession is not your own thou and I are but Stewards and we must give an accompt of our Stewardship Prov. 3. 27 28. Withhold not good from him to whom it is due when it is in the Power of thy hand to do it c. 5. Fifthly Consider that in Scripture phrase he that considereth the poor the Lord will deliver that man in the time of trouble Ps 41. 1. Also consider that Scripture 2 Cor. 8. 2 3. How that in a great tryal of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their liberality For to their power I bear record they were willing of themselvs Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift and take upon us the ministring to the Saints Therefore as you abound in every thing in Faith and Utterance and Knowledge and in all diligence and in your love to us see that ye abound in this also and set speedily about the work make no delay for the time is short our days are very swift yea swifter then the Weavers Shuttle It will be said shortly that Time shall be no more so Revel 6. 7. And the Angel lifted up his hand to heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever who created heaven and earth and the things that therein are and the sea and the things that are therein that there shall be time no longer But in the dayes of the seventh Angel when he shall begin to sound the mysterie of God shall be finished as he hath declareth to his servants the Prophets Methinks I see the words of Christ come to pass Mat. 24. 29. Immediately after the tribulation of those dayes shall the Sun be darkned and the Moon shall not give her light and the Stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of heaven shall be shaken and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven and all the Tribes of the earth shall mourn for they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds with power and great glory Then he shall send his Angels with the great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his elect from the one end of the earth to the other Mat. 24. 30 31. O let all the inhabitants of the earth tremble for the day of the Lord cometh lo it is nigh at hand A day of darkness and of gloominess a day of clouds and of thick darkness there hath not been ever the like neither shall there be the like again A fire devoureth before him and behind him a flame burneth before his face the people shall be much pined all faces shall gather blackness the Earth shall quake before him the Heavens shall tremble the Sun and Moon shall be dark and the Stars shall withdraw their shining Oh this day of the Lord is great and very terrible who can abide it yea where will you find a man that can abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like a Refiners fire and Fullers sope Oh what a terrible day will this be to most of the sons and daughters of men 2 Pet. 3. 12. The heavens shall be on fire and dissolve the earth shall melt with fervent heat If the rocks and mountains would fall on thee thou wouldst think it a favour to hide thee from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come Rev. 6. 16 17. All both small and great shall be gathered together before the Judgment-seat of Christ Mat. 25. 32 33 34 c. yea the Sea shall give up her dead and the grave shall give up their dead death and hell shall give up their dead Rev. 12. 13 14 c. So we shall all appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ and all that ever we have done good or evil shall be laid open before all the world yea all our sins shall be brought to light and each man shall give an accompt of himself to God and be judged according to his works Mat. 25. 32 33 34. Rev. 20. 12 13. If ever thou wilt improve time do it presently Luk. 21. 34 35 36. Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares For thy dayes are swifter then the Weavers shuttle and as a snare shal it come upon all them that dwell upon the earth Watch ye therefore and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all those things and to stand before the Son of man This day will come as a thief in the night Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness looking for and hastening to the coming of that day wherein the heavens shall be on fire and the lements shall melt with fervent heat Seeing then that ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found in him in peace without spot and blameless But if any say I will be diligent hereafter Let me tell thee If ever thou intendest to do any thing for the glory of God the good of thy self and the benefit of others do it presently for the time is short Oh then get oyl in your lamps grace in your hearts that you may not be like the foolish Virgins Mat. 25. 7 8 9 10. The wise Virgins considered that their time was short and their dayes swift and so made it their present work to get oyl in their lamps which was grace in their hearts But the foolish Virgins put it off from day to day never minding that their dayes were swifter then the Weavers shuttle Our time is short wherefore bid adieu to the world For what is the World but vanity All the Honours are but as so many dishonours all the Riches but poverty and all the Joyes but sorrows and all the Pleasure is but pain And if in this life only thou and I have hope we are of all men most miserable Our dayes are but as a bubble we no sooner have our being but we are going to our end All our strength is but as grass and all our beauty is as the flower of the field the grass fadeth the flower with ereth and our strength and beauty is gone Death will bring

in bringing them up in his fear teach your Children their duty both towards God and man If there be ever a word of God within you endeavour to fasten it upon them Prov. 22. 6. Train up a Child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it And what thou intendest to teach them do it speedily make no delay for they are but as a flower of the grass alive and green in the morning and many times cut down and withered before night your Childrens days are short and swifter then the Weavers shuttle And so likewise for Husbands and Wives Masters and Servants superiors and inferiors old and young if there be any Grace in your Heart and power in your hands improve both to the best advantage Be pittifull as your heavenly Father is pittifull make it your business as Christ made it his business to take all opportunities to do good both to Saints and Sinners Matth 5. 45 48. Oh let all your good intentions end in actions and all your Resolutions in speedy performances for the glass is almost run the day of our life is even done and thou must cut off like a Weaver as in Isa 38. 12. Verily every man at his best estate is altogether vanity Oh all ye Parents then look upon your selves and children as upon a Flower that quickly withereth endeavour to acquaint your selves of one Lord Jesus Christ who is the portion of his people Psal 16. 5. compared with Psal 17. 14. Walk with God your selves and so apply those promises that he hath made to his Seed they will live more comfortably with one grain of Grace in the want of the abundance of these outward things then they could with the Kings Ransom if the other be wanting cleave closer unto Christ hang looser to your children that so nothing may be able to separate the one though death will separate the other And let not your lives O ye Parents be bound up in the lives of your children but let your wills be resigned up unto Gods Will that if your children cut off like a Weaver ye may say as once Job in the same case said Ioh 1. 21. The Lord giveth and the Lord takes away bleßed be the name of the Lord and endeavour by your further care and diligence in training them up in the way of Christ instructing them in the way which they ought to walk Shall I appeal to your consciences now O ye Parents hath your care been to provide in a sutable way for the souls of your children for their Spiritual estate as you have for the earthly you are loth to die before you can bring your estate so clear that you may leave it to your children but rather you should be loth to die before such time as you see some work of Grace wrought in their hearts verily these would your thoughts be if you were spiritual It is reported of Augustines Mother that the great thing she desired to live for was to see her son converted and the Lord granted her desire and then she found her self willing to die One Mr. Staughton a Minister in his Epistle to the Reader prefixed to the Treatise called Davids love to Gods word affirms upon his own knowledge that there was a young Gentlewoman in Kent but ten years old could say all the New-Testament by heart yea at that Age she was so perfect therein that being asked where any word were she would presently name Book Chapter and Verse Master Staughton writeth this upon his own knowledge and examination of her in above fourty places at one time wherein she never missed Book Chapter and Verse Truly if we would have the word of Christ dwell richly in us we must ever and anon call home our wandring thoughts and unprofitable desires and disordered affections and gather them up and establish them upon something that Moth and Rust cannot corrupt nor Thieves break through and steal for most of us are like unto Peter we toil all night and catch nothing because we do not cast down our nets at Christs Command which that we may do let us stand upon our guard and guard our Thoughts our Hearts our Wills our Affections our Judgements our Memory our Lips that we speak considerately advisedly and not so vainly Vse 3. By way of Use If our days be so swift and short let us indeavour to be in a continual readiness that we may have nothing to do but to resign up our souls into the hands of our Creator in the name of our dear Saviour by the help of the blessed Spirit and although death doth look gastly upon us when he comes to Summon us to appear before the Tribunal Seat of Justice there to give an account of all our Actions yet let us smile upon Death for he will but destroy our last Enemy Christ hath tasted death for us It is true Death is a dark entry that we must pass through but all trouble on the other side death is taken away the worst thing it can do for one prepared to die is but this namely to shut up the door of earthly comforts and open the door of Heavenly to deprive us of Temporalls that we may be invested with Spirituals to deprive us of the society of a few imperfect Friends that we might enjoy the society of all the Saints and Angels in a state of perfection and that which is ten thousands time more then all the rest we shall enjoy the presence of the Almighty God whose glory and excellency is such that the tongues of men and Angels are not able to express It is life to know him it is melody to hear him it is heaven to behold him it is endless happiness to enjoy him Oh then improve the present opportunity and ability that the Lord hath lent to the uttermost that when thou comest to die and to cut off like a Weaver thy dayes being swifter then a shuttle thou mayst be in some good measure so prepared That 1. If thou canst not say with thy Lord Christ Joh. 17. 4. I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do 2. If thou canst not say with thy brother Paul 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I have fought the good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith there is laid up a Crown of glory not for me only but for all those that wait for his appearing 3. Yet thou canst say with Simeon Luk. 2. 29. Lord now lettest thou thy servants depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation 4. Or else if thou canst not say in the sincerity of thy soul with Hezekiah Isa 38. 3. Remember O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart 5. Yet thou canst say with David Psal 39. 13. Oh spare me a little that I may recover my strength before I go hence and be no more seen 6. There are

why we have many put offs the business concerning our souls must wait upon us from day to day from week to week from moneth to moneth nay sometimes from year to year before we be at leisure to take that into our consideration it is easier for a man to prefer a Petition to the Parliament and to get a promise of taking ones business into serious consideration and to answer our desires then it is to get our stubborn hard hearts so glewed to the World to be at leisure to consider the state of our souls we think every minute spent about that to be an hour and every hour a whole day and every day a year I remember the words of a man now with the Lord speaking to this from that Gen. 27. 38 39. You shall find there that Isaac blessing of Jacob and Esau he blest them both but see with what difference he blessed Jacob v. 28. God give thee of the dew of heaven and the fatness of the earth Then look to Esau's blessing Behold saith Jacobs father thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth and of the dew of heaven from above v. 39. Mark they were both blessed with the dew of heaven and fatness of the earth but now in Jacobs blessing the dew of heaven is first and the fatness of the earth is in the second place but in Esaus blessing the fatness of the earth is first and the dew of heaven in the second place Noting this that a godly man indeed the greatest thing that he should mind in the first place is the dew of heaven and then in the second place the blessing of the earth But an earthly man in the first place seeks for the fatness of the earth and in the next place the dew of heaven Hence it is that the choisest of our thoughts are carried forth and busied about earthly things c. And in order thereunto how will men rise early and lie down late and eat the bread of carefulness and travail night and day far and near through heat and cold thick and thin deprive themselves of sleep and many times of necessary food and all to gather a little Moths-nest together which once gotten the Moths soon consume it unless it takes wings and flies away before the Moths can enter as in Prov. 23. 5. Are not most men and women in England like Corah Dathan and Abiram we read of them that they were swallowed up of the earth and so at this day there be many millions of souls both rich and poor old and young male and female swallowed up of the earth for they make it their great business and therefore the strongest endeavours of their spirits are employed to effect and accomplish their own carnal ends yea the whole man both soul and body is laid out to the uttermost they will neglect no time spare no pains to increase their earthly treasure Indeed I have stood almost amazed when I have a little considered the temper of my own heart the state of others wherein I find that we are very diligent and ready to do that which we have no command for and that which we have warrant for we are negligent to do As to instance We have no command as I can remember to make the things of this life so sure to us and our posterity although in a moderate sense it may be lawful and expedient so to do but for our Evidence for Heaven and our assurance of our interest in God to this we have many commands Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure as 2 Pet. 1. 10 And again 2 Cor. 13 5. Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove your own selves know you not your own selvs how that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates 1 Col. 23. Continue in the faith grounded and setled and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel which ye have heard c. Now for our assurance of earthly things men never think them sure enough but how careful are we to make all things infallible as there can be no way as we think wherein we can be deceived And to secure this earthly treasure how do men toile and labour and their thoughts run in the night and as soon as you arise in the morning you run headlong about the world having so many things to do you know not which to do first But the business of our souls and the assurance for heaven we either think not of it at all or if we do we make that but a business by the by but as for the matters of the earth men will go from this Lawyer to another to ask counsel and to see whether it be sure and to see whether there can be any thing done to make it more sure so that most men never think it to be sure enough but as for our assurance in spiritual things either we are contented with none at all or else any slender assurance will serve the turn Go from one seat to another and enquire of the People what evidence have you of Peace made between God and your souls What evidence have you that you are gone beyond any formal Professour What assurance have you that the saving work of God is wrought in you Why these be either Paradoxes or Mysteries the people know not what this doth mean many of them saying in effect it is an impossible thing for a man upon earth to have assurance of his salvation and so poor souls they drop into the grave one after another having no more assurance of Gods love to them or of their interest in him then the beasts of the field they came first from the earth and all the while they lived their hearts were upon it and so they die and return unto it never obeying that voice Ier. 22. 29. O earth earth earth hear the word of the Lord. These men have denyed Christ here while they lived in the body now he will deny them Mat. 10. 33. 2 Tim. 2. 12. They were ashamed to own him in his people here now he will not own them Luk. 9. 26. Christ called upon them to repent and they would not and now they shall not repent if they would They would none of his ways here and he will not accept of their persons hereafter Mat. 7. 23. O then let Religion be our business Let us seek the Kingdom of Heaven in the first place Mat. 6. 33. And again 3 Ep. John ver 2. I wish even above all things thou mightst prosper in thy body even as thy soul prospereth Mark here was a soul flourishing growing and thriving and that in the first place and next unto that is the moderate care of the body and this is Gods order but mans care is most for the body first and then a little for the soul afterwards when thou hast nothing else to do but know God will have the first fruits or none all

40. 7. Psa 102. 3. Job 7. 7. 2 Sam. 14. 14. Hos 10. 7. Jam. 4. 14. 1 Chron. 29. 15. Ps 39. 5. 3. If we make not Religion our business we shall lose much of our comfort here in point of our well being for if we were not wanting to our selvs we might live in heaven while our bodies were here upon earth Phil. 3. 20. For our conversation is in heaven and this caused the Saints exceedingly to rejoyce 2 Cor. 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world Psa 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I shall have respect unto all thy Commandments What is the matter that one is crying another is sighing and a third perplexed and a fourth in despair why sin is the cause if a man made Religion his business so that his ways did please the Lord even his enemies should be at peace with him Prov. 16. 7. Nay further He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall be no evil touch thee in famine he will preserve thee from death and in war from the power of the sword thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field and the beasts of the earth shall be at peace with thee thy tabernacle shall be at peace and thou shalt not sin Job 5. 19 20 21 22 23 24 c. In a word what brings all the miseries upon our bodies and plagues upon our souls but sin and how shall we refrain from sin unless we make Religion our business which if we did do we should 1. Not fear the faces of men Mat. 10. 28. 2. When we did suffer either in our bodies or estates we should be so far from murmuring or complaining that our hearts would be taken up altogether with singing praising and rejoycing Acts 6. 25. Luk. 6. 22. 23. 1 Pet. 3. 14 17. 1 Pet. 12 13 14 15 16. 3. We should have a fellowship with Christ in all our sufferings as in Phil. 3. 10. 4. We should be great gainers by all our sufferings Rom. 5. 3. 1 Pet. 2. 19. 20. 5. We should accompt the worst of them both light and short 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light afflictions which are but for a moment work for us a far more excellent and eternal weight of glory Rom. 8. 8. If we made Religion our business with Paul we should should say in our sufferings as he did 2 Cor. 4. 8 9. We be troubled on every side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed c. In a word I know nothing that keeps all good things from us and brings all miseries upon us but sin Jam. 4. 1. From whence come wars and fightings among you Come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your members Oh then let Religion be thy business and not sin 1. Because sin is contrary to the nature of God it doth dishonour him 2. It 's most injurious to thy self as hath been proved for it brings all the miseries upon thee that have do or shall ever befall thee As soon as ever thou sinnest the punishment lieth at the door Oh then if the love of Christ will not constrain yet let the fear of punishment compel thee and me to refrain from sin Rom. 2. 9. Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil both of the Iew and the Gentiles Oh let us not do that abominable thing which the Lord doth hate Sin maketh a man abominable both in the sight of God and good men Better it were to suffer a thousand wrongs then to commit one sin Thou mayest have comfort in thy sufferings wrongfully thou oughtest to rejoyce in it but when thou doest sin thou shalt suffer as an evil doer thou art buffeted for thy faults in this thou canst not glory but blush with shame Wherefore if thou art not able to say with Joseph How shall I do this great evil sin against God yet say with Thamar How shall I do this evil and cause my name to slink among the sons and daughters of men Do but a little mark diligently and thou shalt find if thy Conscience be not feared as soon as ever sin is committed thy conscience checks thee thy heart smites thee thy foes laugh at thee thy friends grieve and pitty thee nay more then this thou dost crucifie afresh Christ Jesus and puttest him to an open shame as Heb. 6. 6. What is the reason thou hast so many enemies and so few friends Sin is the cause as Prov. 16. 7. Iob 5. 20 21 c. Thou art deprived of many comforts that others do enjoy Why sin is the cause of it Ier. 5. 25. Doth the Almighty hide his face from thee Why what is the cause Your sins and iniquities have made him to hide his face Wherefore doth the living man so complain but for the punishment of his sin Lam. 3. 39. Wherefore is there so much weeping in this Nation One weeps for his father another for his mother one for his brother another for his sister some for one Relation some for another Why dost thou weep for them Oh they be be dead or dying Why what brought this unavoidable Death into the world Ans It was sin it was sin The wages of sin is death Rom. 6. 23. In a word Sin hath slain our father deceived our mother cheated almost undone all our brethren and defiled our sisters wounded our children and plundered all our kindred to the skin and left them as poor as Iob. One sin caused Adam to fall and so infected the whole world One sin caused the Angels to be cast out of Heaven One sin caused Saul to be utterly cast off from being King although he was anointed King by the Lord his special appointment Ananias and Sapphira for one lye were stricken with present death Besides sin defiles a man totally it beginneth at the understanding and so to the will and affection it will take in every faculty of the soul and endeavour to act in every member of the body it doth defile a man eternally it robs us of the Image of God it robs us of his presence it will promise us peace and bring us into trouble it will promise us honour and bring us into disgrace it will promise us liberty and bring us into bondage it will promise us life and bring us to death it will hide Pride under the name of decencie it will bring in Covetousnes under the name of good husbandry it will clothe Drunkenness Gluttony under the name of good-fellowship it will hide Frowardness under the name of zeal In a word as the acts of sin be numerous so the

shall beg in harvest The diligent hand maketh rich But these are not diligent and therefore are poor See 1 Tim. 5. 8. He that provideth not for those of his own house by his lawfull Calling mark that man he hath denyed the faith and is worse then an infidel 3. Be diligent in your particular Calling as first and chiefly in obedience to the Command of God and secondly that so you might provide for your own selves and families thirdly so be diligent in it that you may be helpfull to others in their needs and wants Eph 4. 28 Let him that stole steal no more but labour working with his hands that he may have to give to him that needeth or to distribute as in the margent next to our selves and families we are to look to others for although charity begins at home it should spread abroad only in giving observe the Rule Gal. 6. 10. Do good unto all but especially to them that are of the houshold of faith and for thy incouragement herein read these and the like Scriptures Luk. 6. 38. Mat. 25. 34 35 36. Fourthly and lastly be sure that you follow this earthly Calling with an heavenly minde when thou lookest upon the world or any thing therein consider it is a natural Book wherein thou mayst read God thou mayst see him learn of him something in al thou puttest thy hand unto A man meerly natural is earthly in Spiritual things but a godly man is Spiritual in earthly things An earthly man when he is hearing praying or reading his thoughts and affections are upon the things of the earth but a godly man when he is about his Calling though the meanest as Weaving Spinning Hedging Ditching or using his Ax or Hammer he is more Spiritual then I say then a wicked man is when he is praying or hearing or preaching or administring or receiving Sacraments that it is so I know by wofull experience and thou whosoever thou art that readest these lines shalt shortly know it if thou dost not already to be true or else by wofull and most wofull experience in the highest degree it will appear to thee to be so at the day of Judgment when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed Truly I conceive that there is no one thing under Heaven that a man puts his hand unto or beholdeth with his eyes but we might behold our Creator in it and learn something from it I will instance in a few Callings leaving the industrious Reader to instance in the rest as occasion offers it self I will begin with the Husbandman as he in ploughing up the grounds to prepare it for feed the ground doth even tell him that the fallow ground of his heart must be ploughed up and fitted to receive Spirital seed Jer. 4. 3. Hos ●0 12. And as he is sowing the Corn even the grain doth preach to him saying I must die before I can bring forth fruit and so must you that sowe me die to the flesh before you can bring forth fruit unto God Rom. 7. 4. Then when a man comes to pluck up the weeds every weed tells him the ground was cursed for his sake and that there be many spiritual weeds in his soul that must be plucked out or it will undo him in the end Mat. 5. 29 30. Then when he hath reaped and is making a separation between the Tares and the Wheat this doth preach to him so will the Lord of Heaven and earth shortly put a difference between the godly and the wicked Mal. 3. 17. 18. and Mat. 3. 12. Come to those that spin and enquire of them and they will or might tell thee that they may see and learn by the thred they spin as in Mat. 6. 18. Luk. 12. 27. Consider the Lillies of the field for they toyl not neither spin and yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these Then the Weaver as he is Weaving may think as if his Shuttle running should say unto him as in Job 7. 6. Thy days are swifter then the Weavers Shuttle and when he hath woven out his Piece is cutting it off he may thereby learn that as he is come to the end of his piece so he shail shortly come to the end of his life and so cut off like a Weaver as in Isa 38. 12. I have cut off like a Weaver my life I might instance in every state in every condition in every particular Calling in every particular Creature but for brevity sake I shall leave it to the prudent Reader NOw that we may make Religion our business indeed and so have our conversation in Heaven whiles we live on the earth and that we might be freed from all distracting cares and so use the world as if we used it not that we might I've above the world even whiles we are in the world and that our chief trading might be for heaven that so our portion and treasure might be there that our hearts might be there also Consider seriously these ensuing particulars viz. 1. That we are all in the presence of God always who takes a view of all our thoughts words and deeds 2. That we have but few days to live in the body and they flie away swifter then the weavers Shuttle wherefore if there be any thing for us to do do it whiles it is called to day Heb. 3. 13. 15. 3. If we make not Religion our business we shall lose much of our comfort here in point of our well being for if we were not wanting to our selves we might live in Heaven whiles our bodies were upon the earth Consider that the Lord that made us hath undertaken the care of us He bids us wait on him and he will feed us and clothe us 5. Consider that this God that hath taken the care of us by way of promise is a faithful God he cannot deny himself 6. If we do belive this we shall with Job and Paul behold a hand of Providence in and read love under every dispensation First of the first of these 1. That we are always in the presence of Almighty God who takes a view of all our thoughts words and deeds and if this were believed by us we should do all things as in his presence endeavouring to behave our selves so as is not onely good and commendable in the sight of men but of God also who looks not only on the outward action but at the inward intention Also this will cause us not only to put a watch over the door of our mouth but also to put another watch over the thoughts of our hearts that so we may with Enoch walk with God that is set him before us See Psal 16. 8. I have set the Lord always before me that I might not fall There are two things to be considered for the clearing of this first point 1. That the Almighty God doth fill heaven and earth with his presence 2. That it is

one of the greatest engagements to engage a Christian to walk in all well-pleasing to God to consider he is always in the presence of God 1. That he is present in all places at all times beholding all actions will appear by these Scriptures Prov. 15. 3. The eye of the Lord is in every place beholding the evil and the good Jer. 23 23 Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not afar off Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord do not I fill heaven and earth 2 Chr. 16. 9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth c. Psal 139. 7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee from thy presence If I ascend up unto Heaven thou art there if I make my bed in Hell behold thou art there v. 8. If I take the wings of the morning and flie to the uttermost parts of the earth even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand hold me If I say surely the darkness shall cover me even the night shall be light about me v. 11. Yea the darkness hideth not from thee but the light shineth as the day the darkness and the light are both alike to thee c Thus we see the Lords presence is every where and yet where is there a man or woman that doth believe it or see him The men and women yet in the state of darkness which is the greatest part these neither see it nor believe it And then for the Saints which are but few a little flock I dare say not one of ten of them have so set to their seals to this truth that the Lord God Almighty is present in all places at all times beholding all actions whatsoever Gen. 28. 16. And Jacob said Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not Job 9. 11. Lo he goeth by me and I see him not He passeth on also and I perceive him not And as he is by us and we do not see him so he speaketh often unto us and we do not hear him Sometimes he speaketh to us by a voice Isa 30. 21. sometimes he speaketh to us by the motions of the Spirit within us sometimes he speaketh to us by men in our own likeness Luk. 10. 16. Sometimes he speaks to us when we be asleep on our beds Iob 33. 14 15 16. God speaketh once yea twice yet man perceiveth it not In a dream in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon man then he openeth their ears and sealeth their instructions Oh let us then see his face and hear his voice for sweet is his voice and his countenance is glorious c. 2. Let us consider that it is one of the greatest engagements to engage a Christian to walk in all well pleasing to God to consider he is always in the presence of God I have kept thy precepts saith David How so David why saith he All my wayes are before thee Psal 119. 168. Psal 16. 8. I have set the Lord alwayes before me and because he is at my right hand I shall not fall Psal 26. 3. Thy loving kindness is before mine eyes so I have walked in thy truth Now these men that do not behold the presence of the Lord still before them are ready upon all occasions to rebell against him Psal 86. 14. The proud men the malitious violent men are risen against me for they do not set the Lord before them As of God in the sight of God speak we in Christ 2 Cor. 2. 17. As if he had said When we come to do any thing we do it so as knowing the all-seeing eye of God is taking notice not only of the action that we do but also of the principle from which we act he endeavours in all his actions to have the same ends in all he doth as God hath commanded him to have When a soul apprehends it self to be in the presence of his Maker it labours to compose it self as beseeming the presence before whom it is So it endeavours to make the will of God his rule and the glory of God his greatest design and his word and Spirit his guide It comes to God for direction saying O Lord lead me in thy way It expects from God protection And do thou protect me in this way of thine And so it depends upon God for assistance in what it doth and for a blessing upon all it doth Exod. 33. 14 15. The Lord said unto Moses My presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest Moses was so taken with that word that he breaks forth v. 5. If thy presence go not with us carry us not from hence In a word the Lord even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is always present and the holy Ghost is always present I fill heaven and earth with my presence saith the Father Jer. 23. 24. So I am with you to the end of the world saith the Son But the manifestation of this is by the Spirit and there are but very few that have this Spirit and so no wonder that men are so ignorant of Gods presence the Spirit would have discovered it but men what lieth in them do either quench it or resist it My friends we live in an Age wherein men are talking much of perfection behold here is the way to attain it to put thy self always in the presence of God and let all thy walks be before him Gen. 17. 1. I am God Alsufficient or the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect If we walk not in the presence of God then we walk in darkness and do the works of darkness Now God is light and in him there is no darkness at all those then that set the Lord always before them are in the light and so do walk in the light as children of the light 2. The second thing to be considered that so we might be taken off the world and make Religion our business is That we have but a few days to live in this world and they flie away faster and swifter then the weavers Shuttle Job 7. 6. Wherefore if we do think or judge that there be any thing for us to do either for God or our selves do it presently work whiles it is day for the night cometh in which no man can work Joh 9. 4. If thou wilt hear his voice let it be as in Heb. 3. 13. 15 To day c. Thou knowest not whether thou shalt have another day for none of us do know what a day may bring forth but because I have written so long of this subject in the first part of this Book called The Weavers Shuttle displayed or the swiftness thereof unfolded I shall in this place only cite a few Scriptures that speak of our frailty and so pass this point over Job 7. 6. Isa 38. 12. and Isa 64. 6. Isa